Introduction

This is my own recipe. It is very gingery! You can omit the powdered ginger if you want a more modest ginger flavour.
This is my own recipe. It is very gingery! You can omit the powdered ginger if you want a more modest ginger flavour.

Minutes to Prepare: 10

Minutes to Cook: 120

Number of Servings: 192

Ingredients

12 cups of chopped rhubarb (I used the rhubarb that I had in the freezer since June which had been cut into 1 inch chunks)8 cups of white sugar1/2 cup of crystallized ginger, finely chopped in a food processor2 teaspoons of dried powdered ginger1/2 a vanilla bean (or 2 tsp vanilla extract)

Directions

If using fresh rhubarb, chop it into fairly small chunks, or use frozen as I did.

Put all the ingredients into a very large heavy pot with 1 cup water. If using vanilla extract, wait to add it at the very end. If using vanilla bean, add it now.

Makes 12 cups of jam. At 16 tablespoons per cup, and 1 tablespoon per serving, you are looking at 192 servings.

Bring to a boil, turn down the heat, then put a splatter screen on top to save little jam spots from getting all over your stove, and leave it to boil slowly for at least 1/2 hour. Stir from time to time.

Use a candy thermometer after 1/2 hour of cooking to see if you can get the mixture to 218 F, or even 220 F for thicker jam. (If you cannot get it to that temperature without losing patience, then be resigned to runny jam, or call it Rhubarb Ginger Sauce that you have with cake / fruit / ice cream or just eat with a spoon).When the jam is at 218 F or you have given up, remove the vanilla bean if you can find it, or add the vanilla extract, and ladle the jam into glass jam jars that have been rinsed with boiling water, and seal with snap lids that you are using according to directions.

I do not bother to process the jars in a water bath because there is so much sugar in this recipe that I do not think that bacteria can grow. However, to be very careful, process the jars in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes, cool in the water for another 5 minutes, then cool on a towel until the snap lids do their snap.

Be sure to label and date your jam, as it is surprising how long some jars can lurk in a dark cupboard. Use within one year. If you find a jar that is more than 2 years old, throw it away.

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Member Ratings For This Recipe

This is so YUMMY! I didn't know what the crystalized ginger was so I googled a substitute and used extra dried/powdered ginger instead. Definitely be patient and let it cook down so it becomes a jam - delish on toast!!
- 5/17/10